We are excited about your interest in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) Growing Graduates from the Ground Up program and hope you get involved today! This program will empower our students by enabling them to offer valuable feedback and contribute to the development of innovative teaching strategies within our college. By participating in this program, students will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and play an active role in shaping the teaching practices within our college.
Logistics of the program
Enrollment and participation in special sections of AFE 300 – Fall 2025 (3 credits) and Spring 2026 (3 credits) totaling 6 credits earned.
- You will be automatically enrolled in this course upon finalizing your participation in the program (applications reviewed from April 1 until course fills).
- The Fall 2025 course occurs every Friday from 12:00-2:00pm in Ag. North
- The course will consist of two hours of lecture/seminar/discussion-based meeting time per week, along with 1 hour/week of collaboration/work with a faculty member or the course instructors.
The Fall 2025 semester will emphasize the following elements:
- Learning and exploring innovative pedagogy in educational practices.
- Identifying the gaps/needs for students enrolled in Martin-Gatton CAFE courses.
- Partnering with a faculty member or course instructor to act as a consultant to their course.
- Assisting your partner in identifying a “problem” or “opportunity” area within their course and proposing innovative solutions to “test” or “trial” in Spring 2026.
Spring 2026 semester will focus on the following elements:
- Testing and practicing the innovative teaching approach or learning style.
- Assessing the practice and evaluating the results.
- Learning the process of reporting results.
- Sharing and presenting on innovative practices to be utilized in other courses.
- A passion for learning and contributing to the community.
- A desire to actively engage in shaping their educational experience.
- An eagerness to develop leadership skills.
- Enthusiasm and a strong work ethic to enhance the learning environment of our college.
- A commitment to diversity, including students from various majors, career aspirations, learning styles, and backgrounds, such as first-generation and non-traditional students, recognizing that academic achievement extends beyond grades alone.
- An interest in pursuing careers in education, communications, outreach, or leadership roles in the future.
- $750 stipend per semester ($1,500 total funds) upon successful completion of each course.
- 6 credits of 300-level course credit (AFE 300 – Fall 2025 & Spring 2026) that could be counted as specialty support, pending your academic program’s approval.
- Leadership development and preparation for future careers:
- Enhancing collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills while making innovative leadership contributions.
- Developing transferable employability skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, leadership, innovation, and communication, enhancing your readiness for future career endeavors.
- Networking and relationship building:
- Establishing transdisciplinary relationships with students, faculty, staff, and instructors from various programs and majors, fostering a broader network for potential letters of recommendation and future career opportunities.
- Opportunity to grow professionally:
- Potential opportunities to present your findings at education-related conferences or contribute to peer-reviewed journal publications, with the possibility of program funding for these experiences.
For More Information Contact
Dr. Lou Hirsch
Assistant Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies
robert.hirsch@uky.edu
Wyatt Driskell
Program Coordinator II
wdr223@uky.edu